
class JEL\ Ail 

Book , L.3^ 

Copyright N° 

COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 




EDWARD W. LAMPTON, D.D. 



Analysis of Baptism 



By 

EDWARD W. LAMPTON, D.D. 




COPYRIGHT 1907 
by 

EDWARD W. LAMPTON, D.D. 



Washington, D. C. 

Record Publishing Company 

1907 



f lT^iT«Y^f CONGRESS J 

\wo Cooles Received 
3EP 2t 190f 
Copynrht Entry . 

. A XXcNo 
COPY P., 






Contents! 



Page 

Introductory 7 

Dedication 13 

CHAPTER I. 
History of Baptism From Moses to John - 15 

CHAPTER II. 
John's Baptism Not Christian Baptism - - 19 

CHAPTER III. 
For What End Was Christ Baptized ? - - 23 

CHAPTER IV. 
The Mode of John's Baptism 29 

CHAPTER V. 
Christian Baptism and Its Mode - - - 35 

CHAPTER VI. 
Relation of Children to the Church - - 45 

CHAPTER VII. 
Christ and the Apostles Recognized Infant 

Membership 57 

CHAPTER VIII. 
Church Membership and Sacraments a Means 

of Grace - 67 



3fatrobu&tott 



Through all the Christian centuries the 
Church has been divided on the subject of bap- 
tism, and is not liable ever to find absolute 
agreement. All branches of the Church have 
expressed views on this subject. Some, how- 
ever, do not practice water baptism, which is 
equivalent to not practicing baptism at all ; for 
certainly they cannot practice spiritual baptism, 
however much they seek it of God. 

Because the Scriptures declare water baptism 
one of the duties of ministerial practice, and 
imply that it is necessary to entrance into the 
Church, all branches of the Christian doctrine 
are compelled to include it. It is generally con- 
ceded to be the initial rite of admission to the 



8 ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 

Church, and by some as the passport to the 
Spiritual Church, being regarded as a grace as 
well as a rite. 

Strong and long discussion is maintained 
concerning the nature and design of the cere- 
mony in respect to its relation to personal sal- 
vation ; as to whether it is necessary or essential. 

This question is not taken up by the author 
of this book, and it is well; there is much un- 
dignified argument wasted on the subject by 
those who, after all, do hope where baptism is 
lacking. 

The age, qualification and spiritual condition 
of the subject of baptism, when forced into the 
corners of argument, is perplexing. Here also 
faith is compromised often in the sacrifice to 
hope. The contender who admits the infant, 
the imbecile and the maniac without baptism, 
loses something in his argument. How else 
could it be ? The Scriptures are not categorical 
on this point, when men non-inspired attempt 
to be so they will never end the argument. 
There can be no doubt in any fair mind that 
thousands baptized in infancy are saved, thou- 



ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 9 

sands baptized in adultage are lost, and other 
thousands are on both sides. 

The method of administering baptism is a 
ground on which a long range of discussion 
rests. At the last analysis of the discussion, 
however, there can be doubt in fair minds, that 
salvation itself cannot, must not, hang on either 
side of the argument exclusively ; both sides are 
too well committed to the recognition of divine 
fathering on the side of the opposite. 

As these discussions are liable to never be 
discontinued, so the practice of baptism will 
continue long and ever. We can see no way to 
dispense with it; it seems so intertwined with 
the very life of Christianity, and possessed of 
so sacred character; yet, when we remember 
how little is said in a categorical way on this 
subject by either our Lord or His disciples, may 
we not believe the argument will ultimately 
become less sharp, harmony more pronounced, 
and the Christian world give much more at- 
tention to the vital questions of faith and mor- 
als touching the formation of character itself ? 

A rite so common, so respectful, cannot be 



10 ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 

regarded lightly, nor its ceremony be made 
small. There must be much credit given to 
those classes of the Christian Church that re- 
gard baptism and religion as inseparable, and 
rarely think the gospel preached without in- 
cluding reference to baptism, nor can we dis- 
respect the influence and advantage of adhering 
to a single method, and adroitly making it ex- 
clusive, yet it must be acknowledged that this 
is drawing the line more severely than is war- 
ranted by Scriptures; it must further be ac- 
knowledged that the fact that many who have 
been trained to exclusive belief and practice on 
either side have been compelled, in the face of 
the logic of facts as well as the allowances of 
Scriptures, to yield in special cases, which yields 
the entire case. 

The churches practicing the methods of 
sprinkling and pouring may dignify the rite as 
highly as those believing in immersion exclu- 
sively — and do so where they will. There is 
little room for doubt that there are some pedo- 
baptists as well as some anabaptists who abuse 
the Sacrament and degrade the ceremony by 



ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 11 

careless arrangements, lack of seriousness, and 
want of consideration, and instruction of the 
candidates. 

As holiness becometh the Lord's house, so 
seriousness becomes all performances therein. 
Nothing can be more inconsistent than the per- 
formance of the Sacraments loosely and at the 
same time proclaiming their high importance 
and value. 

It is trusted that the discussions of the pres- 
ent volume may influence as much to a proper 
regard and performance in these matters as in 
settling the mind on the nature and necessity 
of the doctrine. 

(Bishop) Be)nj. F. LEE, D. D., 

Wilberforce, Ohio. 



ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 13 

To the ministers of the Methodist Family every- 
where this little volume is lovingly dedicated, 
as a fair expression of the truth in which we 
all believe. 

I do not write in the spirit of controversy, 
but in the interest of truth. What our people 
need is not more controversy, but more infor- 
mation. The best way to neutralize error is to 
disseminate truth. Every generation of preach- 
ers must indoctrinate the generation of people 
to whom they preach. This may be done 
through the press as w r ell as the pulpit. It is 
not enough to say that our fathers explained 
and established our doctrines. The least I can 
do is to follow their example, and profit by their 
work. The advocates of error never tire of re- 
peating their oft-exploded theories. The only 
way I can meet them is to keep truth constantly 
before the minds of the rising generations. In 
our effort to keep pace with this "speculative" 
age, we fear that too many of us have failed to 
"take heed to doctrine." It is a sad state of 
things when the "people are perishing for lack 
of knowledge." To "confirm the Churches" is 



14 ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 

no small part of a pastor's duty. It is no dis- 
credit of the work of others to explore the 
fields of thought over which they have traveled. 
Every earnest mind looks at things from his 
own standpoint, and a great deal depends upon 
the point from which things are seen. The 
falling of an apple is a little thing, but, in the 
eyes of Newton, it meant an era in the history 
of philosophy. Every man works now with 
six thousand years' experience at his back. 
Out of so much material he ought to make 
something. In mechanics, the application and 
combination of forces are as necessary as their 
discovery ; so, in the world of thought, the com- 
pilation and combination of forces are as nec- 
essary as their discovery; so, in the world of 
thought, the compilation and adjustment of 
facts are as essential as the facts themselves, if 
truth be the object sought. Without further 
apology, I proceed to collate and adjust the 
facts we have found in a Bible view of baptism. 
Edward W. Lampton, D. D. 



ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 



15 



CHAPTER I. 
fyi&toty of Baptism jfrom tyom to 31o^n* 

One of the leading errors on the subject of 
baptism is found in the supposition that this 
ordinance originated with the mission of John 




the baptizer. Baptism was no new ceremony 
introduced by John — it had been in constant 
use among the Jews from the time of Moses. 
Paul says, "I would not that ye should be ig- 
norant how that all our fathers were baptized 
unto Moses. " I Cor. x. I, 2. Here, then, is 
pure water baptism, and in describing it Paul 
uses the identical word (baptizo) which Christ 



16 ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 

used ill the great commission. Matt, xxviii. 19. 

In Hebrews ix. 10, Paul speaks of "divers 
washings and carnal ordinances, imposed on 
them (the Jews) until the time of reformation." 
But the "divers washings" here spoken of were 
literally "different baptisms," for Paul wrote 
"baptismois" (from baptizo). Another fact in 
this passage worthy of note is that these "dif- 
ferent baptisms" were "imposed (enjoined) on 
them until the time of reformation — that is, 
until the gospel dispensation. Hence, Paul 
goes on in this chapter to show that all the 
purifying ordinances of the ceremonial law 
were so many "different baptisms." Heb. ix. 
10, 13, 19, 21. We learn, then, that God in- 
stituted baptism at the passage of the Red Sea, 
and that it was included in the "ordinances im- 
posed on the Jews until the time of reforma- 
tion." This information is not only furnished 
by an inspired apostle, but by that apostle, of 
all others, most familiar with the Jewish econ- 
omy, and whose special mission was to instruct 
the Gentiles. 

Baptism was no new ceremony among the 
Jews when John came baptizing. For Mark 



ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 17 

tells us that "all Jews holding the tradition of 
the elders/' when they come from the market, 
eat not, except they baptize (baptizo). And 
many other things there be, which they have 
received to hold, as the baptizing (baptizo) of 
cups and pots, brazen vessels and tables'' (or 
couches) . Mark vii. 4. And Luke says : "A 
certain Pharisee besought Jesus to dine with 
him, and he went in and sat down to meat. 
And when the Pharisee saw it he marveled that 
he had not first baptized (baptizo) before din- 
ner." Luke xi. 37, 38. These passages show 
that baptism was not introduced by John, and 
that all the "different baptisms imposed on the 
Jews" by the ceremonial law were in constant 
uses when John came. Every Jew that waited 
on John's ministry knew that the priests bap- 
tized every proselyte they made. Hence, with 
all the objections raised against John, no one 
ever objected to his baptism as an "innovation" 
upon Jewish ordinances. In keeping with this, 
Dr. Lightfoot, who had read exhaustively the 
entire literature of the Jews, says : "All the 
nation of Israel do assert, as it were with one 
mouth, that all the nation of Israel were 

6064-2 



18 ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 

brought into covenant, among other things, by 
baptism." 

It is a great mistake to suppose that John 
was the first administrator of baptism ; for the 
Bible shows that baptism had been in use from 
the time of Moses. And it is a greater mis- 
take to suppose that John's baptism was Chris- 
tian baptism, for John was beheaded before 
Christian baptism was appointed — before the 
commission to baptize in the name of the Trin- 
ity had been given. John's baptism had its 
origin in the law that "imposed different bap- 
tisms on the Jews until the time of reforma- 
tion," which law remained in full force until 
Christ "blotted out the handwriting of ordi- 
nances and took it away, nailing it to the cross." 
In verse 14 the revised version reads "hand- 
writing," etc. ; the bond written in ordinances : 
"He has taken it away, nailing it to the cross." 
The whole sentence should conform to the re- 
vised version, or else should read "His" cross. 
Col. ii. 14. Then, and not till then, was the 
old dispensation closed, and the "ordinances 
taken out of the way" by being "nailed to the 
cross." We shall have use for these facts. 



ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 19 

CHAPTER II. 
]?\0\)n'& Baptism jliot Christian Baptism* 

John was the son of a high-priest; therefore 
the law made him a priest, regardless of his 
choice. 

As Christ was to be a Priest — as all the 
priests were types of Christ, so His forerunner 
had to be a priest; for none but a priest could 
consecrate a priest. 

So far from John being a Christian minis- 
ter — the organizer of a Christian Church — the 
administrator of Christian baptism — he was be- 
headed before the Christian dispensation. Long 
after the death of John, Christ and the apostles 
attended the temple-service, kept the Jewish 
feast, and ate the Jewish passover. If John 
organized a Christian Church and administered 
Christian baptism, then there was one Christian 
Church made up of members who were not 
baptized in the name of the Trinity, and who 
could not take the Lord's Supper ; for the com- 
mission to "baptize in the name of the Father, 
Son and Holy Ghost" was not given, and the 



20 ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 

Lord's Supper was not instituted until after 
John's death. 

Christ said of John, "He that is least in the 
kingdom of heaven is greater than he." Matt, 
xi. ii. Why? Because John belonged to the 
old dispensation and died before the gospel 
dispensation began. 

We must not forget that John belonged to 
the old dispensation; that the ceremonial law 
was still in force; that baptism was no new 
ceremony, being one of the "ordinances im- 
posed until the time of reformation" ; that John 
was acting under the law that imposed the or- 
dinance of baptism, and then all will be clear. 
The design of John's baptism was one thing, 
the design of Christian baptism was a very 
different thing. John's baptism bound its sub- 
jects over to accept a Saviour to come; Chris- 
tian baptism is in the name of a Saviour who 
has already come. Christian baptism is in the 
name of the Holy Ghost; but some who had 
been baptized unto John's baptism "had not so 
much as heard whether there be any Holy 
Ghost." 



ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 21 

John's baptism was not Christian baptism, 
because it was set aside by an inspired apostle, 
and the persons rebaptized. "Paul came to 
Ephesus, and finding certain disciples, he said 
unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost 
since ye believed ? And they said, we have not 
so much as heard whether there be any Holy 
Ghost. And he said, unto what, then, were ye 
baptized? And they said, we were baptized 
unto John's baptism. Then said Paul, John 
verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, 
saying unto the people that they should believe 
on him who should come after him — that is, on 
Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were 
baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus/ ' Acts 
xix. 1-5. 

Now, if the decision of an inspired apostle 
can settle the question, then it is settled that 
John's baptism was not Christian baptism. 
How the idea ever originated that John was a 
Christian minister — the organizer of a Chris- 
tian Church, the administrator of Christian 
baptism — is a mystery we cannot explain. 
Such perversion of the plain teaching of the 



22 ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 

Word of God is humiliating, indeed. This 
error has been the fruitful source of many more 
errors, some of which will be exposed as thor- 
oughly as this has been, before we are through 
with this Bible view of baptism. 



ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 23 



CHAPTER III. 
jFor fflffltyat CnD WSSiu& Ctyrtet Bapti^eD ? 

A great deal depends upon the answer given 
to this question. Was Christ baptized as an 
example to us ? Hardly. 

Christ could not have been baptized as an 
example to His followers, because they are 
baptized in order to get into the visible Church ; 
but Christ was already a member of the only 
visible Church then in existence, having been 
initiated at eight days' old, and confirmed at 
twelve years of age. If he had ever withdrawn 
or been expelled, there is no record of it. In 
becoming a member of the Church in childhood, 
Christ gave us an example worthy of imita- 
tion by those who want to follow Him in those 
acts in which He was truly an example to us; 
but we have no more to do with His baptism 
than with His agony in the garden. 

Again, we are "baptized in the name of the 
Father, Son and Holy Ghost." Christ could 
not have been thus baptized, for He was not 



24 ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 

baptized in His own name ! Our baptism rep- 
resents the grace that cleanses us from sin; 
Christ had no sin to be taken away, hence the 
symbol would have been inappropriate in His 
case. The baptism of Christ had no connec- 
tion with gospel baptism, because He was bap- 
tized three years* before gospel baptism was 
appointed! Thus it is clear, from the facts in 
the case, as well as from the nature and design 
of Christian baptism, that Christ was not bap- 
tized as an example to us. What an amount of 
error does this fact expose! 

For what end, then, was Christ baptized? 
We answer, "To consecrate Him a priest." 
With this answer all the facts agree. The 
Jewish priesthood pointed to Christ — without 
this significance it had no meaning. The 
Levitical priesthood was to culminate in Him 
and be abolished by Him. But, in order to do 
this, Christ had to be consecrated by a regular 
priest according to the ceremonial law. Christ 
was baptized at thirty years of age, just the age 
the law required a priest to be when conse- 

*The exact length of time may be questioned. 



ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 25 

crated. When John saw that he could not bap- 
tize Christ for the same end he had baptized 
"all the people," and, therefore refused to bap- 
tize Him. Jesus reminded John that the law 
required it, saying, "Thus it becometh us to ful- 
fill all righteousness" — literally, "Thus ought 
we to ratify every divine precept." Hence, St. 
Paul says, "Wherefore in all things it behooved 
Him to be like unto His brethren, that He 
might be made a faithful high-priest." Heb. 
ii. 17. It had been prophesied of Christ that 
He should be "anointed above His fellows." 
They were anointed with oil — He with the 
"Holy Ghost." Thus, immediately after His 
baptism, or consecration, "The Holy Ghost de- 
scended upon Him." 

Paul referred to the case of Melchizedec, not 
to show how Christ could be a priest without 
legal consecration, but to show how He could 
be legally consecrated as a priest without being 
of the tribe of Levi. And having shown how 
Christ could be a priest, not after the order of 
Aaron, but after the order of Melchizedec, 
Paul winds up his argument by saying, "The 



26 ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 

word of the oath, which was since the (cere- 
monial) law, maketh the Son a priest, who is 
consecrated forevermore." See all of Heb. vii. 

Now, if Christ was not consecrated a priest 
according to law, then He could not abolish 
the Levitical priesthood and the ceremonial 
law, so they are still in full force. But if 
Christ was ever "consecrated" a priest it must 
have been at His baptism ; for there is no other 
event mentioned in His life which answers to 
such a consecration, while all the facts con- 
nected with His baptism point in this direction, 
and cannot be explained upon any other hy- 
pothesis. 

Up to the time of His baptism, Christ had 
performed no official act; but now He enters, 
immediately, upon His official work; therefore 
His baptism was official, and in no way an ex- 
ample to us. 

Once more: After this baptism, Christ 
went into the temple to purge it ; and when He 
had "cast out all them that sold and bought in 
the temple," "the chief priests came to Him 
and said, by what authority doest Thou these 



ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 27 

things, and who gave Thee this authority?" 
See Matt. xxi. Observe, the point the chief 
priests raised was in reference to Christ using 
authority in the temple, which belonged to the 
priests alone; and Christ answered their ques- 
tion, as to who gave Him this authority, by 
referring them to "John's baptism" — showing 
that John was a priest, and that the baptism of 
Christ at the hands of John was an official act, 
conferring priestly authority upon Him. "Thus 
they fulfilled all righteousness," and thus we 
see, in the light of Scripture, the end for which 
Christ was baptized. 



ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 29 

CHAPTER IV. 
SGije $)oDe of ifioljtvs HBapttem* 

We now have some light on the mode of 
John's baptism, and the mode by which Christ 
was baptized. 

We must not forget that John lived under 
the old dispensation; that the ceremonial law, 
with its "different baptisms/' was in full force 
until after John was beheaded, and that Christ 
and the twelve apostles observed all the ordi- 
nances of this law up to the night on which He 
was betrayed. 

Now, under the ceremonial law, from Aaron 
to Christ, in all acts of purifying, or baptizing, 
where a priest was the administrator, and a 
person was the subject, the mode was always 
either sprinkling or pouring. If John had de- 
parted from this mode, the chief priests and 
elders, the doctors and lawyers, the Scribes and 
Pharisees all would have objected. But not a 
word on this subject was ever heard. 



30 



ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 



But does not the Bible say that John "bap- 
tized in Jordan?" Yes; but it also says "That 
John baptized at first beyond Jordan" ; that he 
"baptized in Bethabara," "in Enon," and "in 



_^s^s 






w 






i&Ml 


«^l? 




ia^-Hss!^ 



the wilderness." But any one can see at a 
glance that the preposition "in" is used in each 
one of these passages to denote place and not 
mode. A man was killed in the wilderness. 
How? With a knife. A father whipped his 
son in Enon. But how ? With a switch. So 



ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 31 

"John baptized in Enon, in Bethabara, in the 
wilderness, in Jordan," and "beyond Jordan." 
These are the places where John baptized. But 
how did he baptize? By what mode? John 
answers every time, "I indeed baptize you with 
water!" John always says "with" water, and 
never "in" water, nor "under" water. 

All we ask is to let the Bible explain itself. 
Thus this identical phrase "in Jordan" occurs 
in the book of Joshua iii. 8, and is thus ex- 
plained by the inspired writer : "When ye are 
come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye 
shall stand still in Jordan." So, then, accord- 
ing to the Bible, "in Jordan" simply means 
within the banks, at "the brink of the water." 
So when John baptized in Jordan, he baptized 
inside of the outer banks, but "at the brink of 
the water of Jordan" ; but he says every time, 
he baptized "with" water. See Matt. iii. 17; 
Mark i. 8; Luke iii. 16; John i. 6, 33; Acts 
i. 5;xi. 16. 

It is agreed by the best critics that John was 
not engaged in baptizing more than ten months 
before he was cast into prison. For him to 



32 ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 

have baptized "all the people' ' in so short a time 
by a mode that would put him, waist deep, in 
the water, is unreasonable to think. It is un- 
reasonable, because it would have kept John in 
the water at least six hours per day during the 
ten months of his ministry. Moses took a 
hyssop branch and "sprinkled all the people" 
(about three millions), and Paul calls that bap- 
tism. Heb. ix. 10, 19. John and Moses both 
baptized under the ceremonial law; and if 
Moses baptized "all the people" by sprinkling 
them "with a hyssop branch," how can John 
baptize "all the people" (several millions) in 
so short a time? This mode agrees with the 
law under which he was baptized, and har- 
monizes with all the facts connected with this 
baptism; for with this mode John could bap- 
tize in the wilderness, in Enon, in Bethabara, 
and in a "place beyond Jordan," as well as at 
the brink of the water of Jordan. 

As to the mode by which Christ was bap- 
tized, we believe the Bible settles that as clearly 
as it settles the object of his baptism. We 
have shown that both John and Christ were 



ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 33 

members of the Jewish Church; that the cere- 
monial law was in full force, and was observed 
by them ; that John was a priest under this law ; 
that Christ had to be consecrated a priest before 
He could abolish the Levitical priesthood, and 
"nail the ceremonial law to His cross" (Col. 
ii. 4) ; and that the object of Christ's baptism 
was to consecrate Him a priest. Now, the 
mode of consecrating a priest is laid down in 
the Book of Numbers viii. 5, 6, yy : "And the 
Lord spake unto Moses, saying; take the Le- 
vites from among the children of Israel, and 
cleanse them. And thus shalt thou do unto 
them to cleanse (or consecrate) them: sprinkle 
water of purifying upon them." Now, this 
law was in full force until after John's death ; 
for it was one of the "different baptisms im- 
posed upon the Jews until the time of reforma- 
tion," which ordinance Christ took out of the 
way, by nailing it to His cross. In that tragic 
hour "the vail of the temple was rent in twain 
from the top to the bottom" — showing that 
then, and not till then, the Levitical priesthood 
was merged into the priesthood of Christ, and 

6064—3 



34 ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 

that the ceremonial law, or "carnal ordinances," 
were "taken out of the way," being "nailed to 
the cross." 

As John baptized under a law that required 
him to sprinkle water upon Him, as Christ ap- 
pealed to this law when John refused to bap- 
tize Him, who can doubt that Christ was bap- 
tized by "sprinkling" at "the brink of the water 
of Jordan," and that he immediately went up 
(the bank) from (apo) the water; "and, lo, 
the heavens were opened unto Him, and He 
saw the spirit of God descending like a dove, 
and lighting upon Him." Matt. iii. 16. 

So much for baptism under the ceremonial 
law. Up to this period the design of baptism 
had been different at different times. "John 
baptized all the people unto repentance" ; but 
he baptized Christ to "fulfill a divine precept," 
or law. With these facts before us, we are 
now prepared to take up Christian Baptism. 



ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 35 



CHAPTER V. 
Christian 51Bapttem anO 3|tfi $)oDe* 

Christian baptism was instituted in the great 
commission given by Christ after He had taken 
the "handwriting of ordinances out of the way 
by nailing them to the cross." The "time of 
reformation" had come. Baptism, as a Chris- 
tian ordinance, or sacrament, was administered 
for the first time on the Day of Pentecost ; yet 
we get some idea of its mode from the "differ- 
ent baptisms imposed upon the Jews until the 
time of reformation." The design of baptism, 
as administered by the Almighty at the Red 
Sea, and afterward by Moses and the priests, 
and finally by John, had been different as the 
different occasions required ; but, still the Bible 
calls it all baptism ; and Paul, in speaking of it, 
uses the same word (baptizo) which Christ 
used in the great commission. The formula 
used in administering baptism was changed to 
suit the design, or object, had in view. John 
baptized the people, saying, "I baptize you with 



36 ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 

water unto repentance," while "the people were 
baptized of him confessing their sins." Matt, 
iii. 6-1 1. But John did not baptize Christ with 



this formula, nor for this object; for Christ 
had no sins to repent of, or to confess. So 
Christian baptism was administered with a new 
formula, and with a new design. It was ad- 
ministered "in the name of the Father, and of 



ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 37 

the Son, and of the Holy Ghost/' and was de- 
signed to initiate us into the visible Church, 
and represents the baptism of the Holy 
Ghost, which inducts us into the invisible, or 
spiritual, Church. Thus we see that baptism 
has been in use ever since "all our fathers were 
baptized unto Moses" ; and while the formula 
and design of baptism have been changed time 
and again, yet there has never been any change 
in the mode — that is, the water has always been 
applied to the person, and the person to the 
water never. Now, at "the time of reforma- 
tion," if there had been a change in the mode, 
as well as the formula and design, and if the 
mode is so essential as to make the "baptism" 
null and void when the right mode is not used, 
would not this change have been clearly stated, 
and the new mode settled beyond a doubt ? In 
the absence of any intimation that the mode of 
baptism was changed in the great commission, 
and as Christ commanded baptism by using the 
very word (baptizp) that the inspired writers 
used to describe the sprinkling and pouring 
ceremonies "imposed on the Jews," let us ex- 



38 ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 

amine more closely the Bible use and definition 
of this word. 

There are six places in the New Testament 
where it is said that "John baptized (baptizo) 
with the Holy Ghost." Now, in addition to 
the baptism with water, recorded in these six 
places, there is a spirit-baptism promised. See 
Matt. iii. n ; Mark, i. 8; Luke iii. 16; John i. 
26; Acts i. 5; xi. 16. Now, if we turn to 
Acts ii. 17, where this promised baptism of the 
spirit was given, we find that the mode was 
"pouring," for the Bible says the "Holy Ghost 
was poured out upon them." Here, then, are 
six places in the New Testament where baptize 
(baptizo) means to pour. We are simply per- 
mitting the inspired writers to define the mean- 
ing of their own words. 

"But this was spirit-baptism and not water- 
baptism." Truly, but that does not change the 
fact that in these six places baptize (baptizo) 
means to pour. Moreover, in the water-bap- 
tism spoken of in these six places, the water 
was applied to the person, and not the person 
to the water. John always baptized with water 



ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 39 

and never in water. "But this water-baptism, 
recorded in these six places, was administered 
by John under the old dispensation." Very 
well ; but it is giving us the meaning of the word 
baptize (baptizo) as that word was used by the 
inspired writers. 

Again, in relating the facts in his visit to the 
house of Cornelius, Peter says: "As I began 
to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on 
us at the beginning (of the gospel dispensa- 
tion). Then remember the word of the Lord, 
how that He said, John indeed baptized with 
water ; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy 
Ghost." "And they of the circumcision were 
astonished, because that on the Gentiles also 
was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost." 
Acts x. 44, 45 ; xi. 15, 16. Here, then, we have 
not only another proof that baptize (baptizo) 
means to pour, but also the significant fact that 
the "pouring out of the Holy Ghost" reminded 
Peter that "John baptized with water." It is 
a remarkable fact that at the beginning of the 
gospel dispensation on the Day of Pentecost, 
and at the introduction of the gospel among 



40 ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 

the Gentiles at the house of Cornelius, there 
should have been so much emphasis given to 
the fact that pouring was the mode of spiritual 
baptism ; and that this reminded Peter that the 
Lord said "John baptized with water." In the 
face of such facts, no wonder Peter began to 
prepare to baptize these Gentile converts by 
asking^ "Can any man forbid water (to be 
brought) that these should not be baptized ?" 
If Jesus intended to change the mode of bap- 
tism in the great commission, Peter certainly 
did not so understand it. Really, it looks as 
though Peter and the Lord both intended that 
there should be no cause for mistake about the 
mode of Baptism. If they had written a dic- 
tionary for the New Testament and defined the 
word baptize (baptizo) by writing "pour" six 
times after it, would it have been any clearer? 
A man who can resist such demonstration as 
the above must suffer from obscured vision. 

But the demonstration does not stop here. 
The Bible also defines the word baptize (bap- 
tizo) when used to describe pure water-baptism. 
Paul says: "All our fathers were under the 



ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 41 

cloud . . . and were baptized." I. Cor. x. 
i, 2. By what mode? The Psalmist, in cele- 
brating this event, tells us exactly, "The clouds 
poured out water." Ps. lxxvii. 17. In this 
case the "pouring out water" is called baptism. 
Here, then, we have a clear case of water-bap- 
tism by pouring. This makes seven places in 
the New Testament where baptize (baptizo) 
means "to pour" — so defined by the inspired 
writers. Is not that a demonstration in favor 
of pouring ? 

We have already seen that Paul described all 
the "sprinkling" and "pouring" ordinances of 
the ceremonial law by calling them "different 
baptisms" (baptismois, from baptizo). Heb. 
ix. 10. Did Paul understand Greek? Did he 
know what baptizo meant? If so, then bap- 
tizo means "to pour" and "to sprinkle," as it 
is used in the Word of God. 

It is said of Christ, "So shall He sprinkle 
many nations" (Isa. Hi. 15); "then will I 
sprinkle clean water upon you." Ezek. xxxvi. 
25. Now, if these prophecies are not fulfilled 



42 ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 

in Christian baptism, where have they ever 
been fulfilled ? 

Now, with all this Bible authority for sprink- 
ling and pouring, we believe that Methodist 
ministers are fully and divinely authorized to 
baptize "with" water, rather than in water. 
And if "baptism be a prerequsite to the LORD'S 
SUPPER/' we believe, in the light of these 
facts, that all who have ever been thus baptized 
are entitled to the Holy Communion ; for "bap- 
tism is not the putting away the filth of the 
flesh, but the answer of a good conscience to- 
ward God." I. Pet. iii. 21. Observe, it is not 
the conscience of the Church or the officiating 
minister that is to be consulted, but the con- 
science of the man who has been baptized ; and 
in this matter he is to have a "good conscience 
toward God," rather than man. The divine 
command is : "Let a man examine himself, 
and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of 
that cup." I. Cor. xi. 2. How beautifully 
does the ritual of the Methodist Church har- 
monize with the Bible, in that it puts the re- 
sponsibility of communing upon the conscience 



ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 43 

of each individual communicant, instead of 
making the Church a moral umpire to sit in 
judgment upon every Christian's conscience. 
Thank God, there is at least one Church in the 
world in which the liberty of the individual 
conscience is held sacred. 



ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 45 

CHAPTER VI. 
delation of C^iluren to tlje €\)uxt\). 

To ascertain the relation of children to the 
Church now, we must trace that relation to its 
origin, and then see what has been the result 
of divine legislation on that subject. 

There can be no doubt that God organized a 
visible church in the house of Abraham — at 
least. St. Stephen calls this organization "The 
Church in the wilderness/' Acts vii. 38. That 
infants were embraced in the covenant made 
with Abraham, no one will deny. Here, then, 
we have a visible Church with infant member- 
ship embraced in its covenant. 
v It has been said, however, that this covenant 
was set aside in the following passage: "Be- 
hold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will 
make a new covenant with the house of Israel ; 
not according to the covenant that I made with 
their fathers, in the days that I took them by 
the hand to bring them out of the land of 



46 ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 

Egypt, which my covenant they break/' Jer. 
xxxi. 31, 32; Heb. viii. 13. 

We remark upon this passage that the cove- 
nant here set aside was not the covenant made 
with Abraham, because, ( 1 ) It was "made with 
the fathers'' (the sons of Jacob). (2) Because 
the covenant mentioned here was one which the 
children of Israel had "broken" ; they never 
broke the Abrahamic covenant. (3) Because 
this "covenant was made with the fathers, in 
the day that the Lord took them by the hand 
to bring them out of Egypt" — the Abrahamic 
covenant was made four hundred and thirty 
years before that event. (4) Because the Abra- 
hamic covenant was to be "an everlasting cove- 
nant." Gen. xvii. 13. In speaking of the 
Abrahamic covenant, Paul says : "This I say, 
that the law which was four hundred and thirty 
years after, can not disannul the covenant 
which was confirmed before of God in Christ." 
Gal. iii. 17. Paul says: "Though it be a 
man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man 
disannuleth, or addeth thereto." But "the cov- 
enant (with Abraham) was confirmed of God 



ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 47 

in Christ"; hence, "the law, which was four 
hundred and thirty years after, can not disannul 
it." Gal. iii. 16-17. Here, then, we have a 
visible Church organized by God Himself, and 
infant membership is secured by an "everlasting 
covenant," "confirmed of God in Christ," which 
Paul declares "can not be disannuled." 

This "Church in the wilderness" and the 
Church of the gospel dispensation are iden- 
tically the same. Christ taught this important 
truth when He compared the so-called Jewish 
Church to a vineyard which the owner let out 
to husbandmen, who refused to pay the rent, 
but "beat," and "stoned," and "killed," both the 
servants and son of the owner and said, "Let 
us seize the inheritance." Then, turning to 
the chief priests and elders, He asked, "When 
the Lord of the vineyard cometh, what will He 
do unto these husbandmen?" They say unto 
Him, "He will miserably destroy those wicked 
men, and will let out his vineyard unto other 
husbandmen, who will render him the fruits in 
their season." Then said Jesus: "Therefore 
§ay I unto you, the kindgdom of God (the 



48 ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 

Church) shall be taken from you and given to 
a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof/' 
Matt. xxi. 33, 43. Observe, the old vineyard 
was not dug up, and a new vineyard planted, 
but the identical vineyard was transferred to 
other husbandmen. So the old Church was not 
abolished and a new Church organized, but the 
identical kingdom, or Church, which was taken 
from the unbelieving chief priests and elders, 
who crucified the Son of God, was turned over 
to the apostles on the day of Pentecost, and 
finally extended to the Gentiles. This was the 
Church that Christ came to "build and estab- 
lish" ; in this Church He lived and died, and to 
this "Church three thousand were added" on 
the Day of Pentecost. Acts ii. 41. 

Paul taught the same truth when he com- 
pared the "Church in the wilderness" to an 
olive tree, and the Jews to the "natural 
branches" and "the Gentiles to a wild olive 
grafted on to the root of the good olive tree." 
Rom. xi. 13, 25. Observe, the old olive tree 
was not dug up and thrown away and a new 
tree planted, but the "natural branches were 



ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 49 

broken off through unbelief/' and "the wild 
olive tree was grafted in, and partook of the 
root and fatness of the good olive tree." So 
far from there being a new Church organized 
under the gospel dispensation, the "Gentiles 
were grafted in among the believing Jews, and 
with them partook of the root and fatness of 
the good olive tree." If the Gentiles derived 
any privileges from the Church membership, 
they obtained them by virtue of being grafted 
into this old olive tree planted in the house of 
Abraham; hence, Paul said to them, "Thou 
bearest not the root, but the root thee." 

In writing to the Ephesians, Paul says: 
"Now, therefore, ye are no more strangers and 
foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, 
and of the household of God ; and are built upon 
the foundation of the apostles and prophets, 
Jesus Christ, Himself, being the chief corner- 
stone." Eph. ii. 20. Here the Church is rep- 
resented as the "household of God," and all 
those who come into it "are built upon the 
foundation of the apostles," and the "apostles 
are built upon the foundation of the prophets, 

6064-4 



50 ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 

Christ being the chief corner-stone of this 
household of God." 

In his epistles to the Romans and Galations, 
Paul shows conclusively that, in keeping with 
the "everlasting covenant made with Abra- 
ham/' all believers are the children of Abra- 
ham, and are entitled to all the privileges of 
the Abrahamic covenant — showing that the 
Abrahamic covenant was to stand through all 
time to come. The covenant made with Abra- 
ham was brimful of the gospel ; through it "all 
the nations of the earth were to be blessed/' and 
by it Abraham was to be "the father of all them 
that believed/' and in it "the gospel was 
preached to Abraham." Gal. iii. 8. 

And yet we are told that "the Abrahamic 
covenant embraced only temporal and national 
blessings," and that "the Church in the wilder- 
ness," was not a "spiritual Church, and pro- 
vided no spiritual food for its members." Let 
us see. Paul says : "Abraham received the 
sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness 
of the faith which he had yet being uncircum- 
cised, that he might be the father of all them 



ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 51 

that believe, though they be not circumcised." 
"For the promise, that he should be heir of the 
world, was not to Abraham through the law, 
but through the righteousness of faith." Rom. 
iv. n-13. Is the righteousness of faith only a 
temporal or a national blessing? "The prom- 
ise that he should be heir of the world" does 
not refer to national blessings, but represents 
Abraham as having all the world given to him 
as an inheritance, for "in him all nations of 
the earth are blessed." Therefore all are in- 
terested in the Abrahamic covenant, which was 
"confirmed of God in Christ," and every one 
has a right to claim justification through faith, 
by the blood of the Lamb, by virtue of this 
original grant made to Abraham. As Abra- 
ham received the sign of that covenant as "a 
seal of the righteousness of the faith which he 
had" before he was circumcised, so he became 
"the father of all them that believe, though 
they be not circumcised." 

"The Church in the wilderness" not a "spir- 
itual Church." Paul says : "I would not that 
ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers 



52 ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 

were all baptized unto Moses, and did all eat 
the same spiritual meat, and did all drink the 
same spiritual drink; for they drank of that 
spiritual Rock that followed them; and that 
Rock was Christ." I. Cor. x. i, 2, 3, 4. In- 
stead of our having a monopoly of the gospel, 
Paul says, "The gospel was preached unto 
Abraham" (Gal. iii. 8) ; and "unto us was the 
gospel preached, as well as unto them" (Heb. 
iv. 2). 

Now, we have shown that God organized a 
visible church by making an "everlasting cove- 
nant" with Abraham, which covenant was "con- 
firmed of God in Christ four hundred and thirty 
years" before the ceremonial law was given; 
that this covenant made Abraham "the father 
of all them that believe, regardless of circum- 
cision; that in this covenant "the gospel was 
preached tfnto Abraham" ; that all the members 
of this "Church in the wilderness" had the 
gospel preached unto them; they all ate spir- 
itual meat, and drank spiritual drink, for they 
drank of that spiritual Rock, and that Rock 
was Chri9t; that this was the identical Church 



ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 53 

which was taken from the unbelieving rulers 
and turned over to the apostles and finally to 
the Gentiles; that this was the Church Christ 
came to build up and establish, never propos- 
ing to organize a new Church ; that the Apos- 
tolic Church was built upon the foundation of 
the prophets, Christ being the chief corner- 
stone all the way down ; therefore, we conclude 
that the identity of the Church under the Jew- 
ish and gospel dispensations is abundantly es- 
tablished; or, as Dr. Alexander McCall, of 
England, has expressed it in "The Old 
Paths" : 

"SALVATION is of the Jews. Amongst 
all the religious systems existing in the world, 
there are but two deserving of attentive con- 
sideration, and they are both of Jewish origin, 
and were once exclusively confined to the Jew- 
ish nation. They are now known by the names 
of Judaism and Christianity ; but it must never 
be forgotten that the latter is as entirely Jewish 
as the former. The author of Christianity was 
a Jew. The first preachers of Christianity 
were Jews. The first Christians were all Jews ; 



54 ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 

so that, in discussing the truths of these re- 
spective systems, we are not opposing a Gentile 
religion to a Jewish religion, but comparing 
one Jewish creed with another Jewish creed. 
Neither in defending Christianity, do we wish 
to diminish aught from the privileges of the 
Jewish people, on the contrary, we candidly 
acknowledge that we are disciples of the Jews, 
converts to Jewish doctrines, partakers of the 
Jewish hope, and advocates of that truth which 
the Jews have taught us. We are fully per- 
suaded that the Jews whom we follow were in 
the right — that they pointed out to us 'the old 
paths,' 'the good way/ and 'we have found rest 
to our soul.' " 

Of course there were some changes made in 
the ceremonies and rites at the beginning of 
the new dispensation. The entire ceremonial 
law, which was imposed until the time of ref- 
ormation, was taken out of the way by Christ, 
who blotted out the handwriting of ordinances, 
nailing it to His cross. But the MORAL 
LAW, and the ABRAHAMIC or EVER- 
LASTING COVENANT, remained, being a 



ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 55 

part of the GOSPEL. By divine appointment 
the LORD'S SUPPER was substituted for 
circumcision, or rather, circumcision was no 
longer required ; as carnal ordinances were now 
taken out of the way, baptism, under a new 
formula, became the initiatory RITE into the 
Church. As baptism had been used in connec- 
tion with circumcision for centuries in all cases 
of proselytes, and as the Church was to be now 
no longer local, but aggressive — proselyting 
all nations — baptism in the name of the Trinity 
very naturally was selected by the Master as 
the door into the Church. Hence, Paul called 
baptism "the circumcision of Christ" (Col. 
ii. ii ). 

Now, as INFANTS were embraced in the 
original and "everlasting covenant," who can 
exclude them? Where has the law of infant 
membership ever been repealed? And the 
right of membership carries with it the right to 
be initiated — to be baptized. Paul said that 
this covenant — this promise made to Abra- 
ham — had not been disannuled in his day. 
Who has had the right to do it since? Those 



56 ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 

who want to disannul the law of infant mem- 
bership must show some authority in the Bible 
for it. Paul says : "Though it be but a man's 
covenant, yet, if it be confirmed, no man dis- 
annuleth or addeth thereto" ; yet, here is an 
everlasting covenant, which was confirmed of 
God in Christ." If any one wants to make 
void this covenant, he must show divine author- 
ity for so doing. 



ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 57 



CHAPTER VII. 

Cljrtet anD tyt Qpo&tlt& Ifocogm^rt infant 
Sternberg!) tp* 

We have now got rid of the errors which 
have so often bewildered the minds of the peo- 
ple. Bearing in mind that infant membership 
was the law of the Church from its organiza- 
tion down to Christ ; that this Church was con- 
tinued under the gospel dispensation; that the 
law of infant membership has never been abro- 
gated ; that baptism was administered* to both 
"parents and children" in making proselytes to 
the Jewish Church ; that, under a new formula, 
baptism took the place of circumcision as the 
initiatory rite of the Christian Church — we 
come now to show that Christ and the apostles 
acted just as we should expect them to act pro- 
vided the law of infant membership was to re- 
main in force under the gospel dispensation. 

*Maimonides, a learned rabbi and commentator on Jewish 
law, shows beyond a doubt that they "baptized young children 
with their parents." 



58 ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 

The reader will bear in mind that Christ and 
all the apostles entered the Church at eight days 
old; that all the children among the Jews, at 
the time of Christ and on the Day of Pentecost, 
were in the Church ; and that, up to the Day of 
Pentecost, neither Christ nor the apostles, nor 
any one else, had ever heard of a Church that 
excluded infants. Now, in the light of all 
these facts, and with the supposition that in- 
fant membership is either to be continued in 
the Church, or the law authorizing it repealed, 
let us examine the conduct of Christ and the 
apostles toward children, and their teachings 
in reference to the Church privileges of chil- 
dren. 

On a certain occasion some one asked Christ, 
"Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" 
How did He answer this question? "He took 
a little child and set him in the midst of them." 
In so doing Christ publicly recognized the law 
of infant membership; for the question was in 
reference to those who were in the kingdom, 
and not those who were out of it. 

On another occasion "They brought young 



ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 59 

children (infants) to Christ that He should 
touch them; and His disciples rebuked those 
that brought them; but when Jesus saw it He 
was much displeased, and said unto them: 
suffer the little children to come unto me and 
forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of 
God. Verily, I say unto you, whosoever shall 
not receive the kingdom of God as a little child 
(receives it) he shall not enter therein. And 
He took them in His arms, put His hands upon 
them, and blessed them." Mark x. 13-16. 

The conduct of the disciples on this occasion 
shows that the question involved here was the 
EXTENT OF THE RIGHTS AND PRIVI- 
LEGES OF CHILDREN. The parents 
brought their infants to Christ. The disci- 
ples rebuked them. Why? Because the rab- 
bis taught that after a child had been circum- 
cised it was to be instructed at home, and that 
no public teacher in the Church was to be 
troubled with it until it was twelve years old. 
Hence, these disciples thought it rude for these 
parents to intrude their children upon Christ, 
the great Teacher. But what did Christ do 



60 ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 

and say ? Why, instead of curtailing the privi- 
leges of children, He enlarged them, leaving an 
example to all His tmder-shepherds to receive 
the little lambs. Can the conduct of Christ on 
this occasion be explained upon the supposition 
that He knew that the privileges of children 
were to be abrogated under the gospel dispen- 
sation ? Hardly. "But Christ did not baptize 
those children." No; He never baptized any 
one (John iv. 2). More — baptism was not 
necessary; these children were already in the 
Church and Christ so recognized them, saying : 
"For of such is the kingdom of God." If it 
be objected that the kingdom of God does not 
mean the Church, we reply: We know as a 
fact that all Jewish children were members of 
the visible Church; hence, these were. Now, 
if the kingdom of God here means the spiritual 
Church or the Church triumphant, and Christ 
said of these children, "Of such is the kingdom 
of God/' then it follows, as an inevitable se- 
quence, that all children ought to be taken into 
the visible Church; for if those already in the 
spiritual kingdom, or who are ready for the 



ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 61 

kingdom above, are not fit subjects for member- 
ship in the visible Church, then we ask, who is fit? 
The truth is, those who reject infant member- 
ship come in direct conflict with the above dec- 
laration of Christ, turn it whichever way they 
will. None can explain the conduct and lan- 
guage of Christ on this occasion upon the sup- 
position that He knew that infant membership 
was to be no longer continued in the Church. 

This question — the religious privileges of 
children — came up again. Near the close of 
His ministry Christ made a public entry into 
Jerusalem. He went into the temple, "And 
when the chief priests saw the wonderful things 
that He did and the children crying in the tem- 
ple and saying: Hosanna to the Son of Da- 
vid, they were sore displeased, and said unto 
Him: Hearest Thou what these (children) 
say?" Matt. xxi. 16. Why were the chief 
priests and scribes displeased? Because no 
child was allowed by them to go into the tem- 
ple, or say a word there until it was twelve 
years old. Surely, the Master will now reveal 
the fact that infants are to be excluded from 



62 ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 

all Church privileges! What will He do? 
Listen, O earth ! "And Jesus said unto them, 
Yea ; have ye never read, out of the mouth of 
babes and sucklings thou hast perfected 
praise ?" Matt. xxi. 16; Ps. viii. 2. Now, if 
the law of infant membership was to be disan- 
nuled, I submit that the conduct of Jesus shows 
that He did not so understand it. Utter si- 
lence on this subject on the part of Christ would 
have left the children in possession of all the 
rights they enjoyed at His coming ; but we have 
seen that on three occasions Christ recognized 
these rights and enlarged them. 

Once more: Just before Christ left the 
world, He commanded Peter to "Feed my 
lambs/' Peter, up to this moment, had be- 
longed to a Church which had always recog- 
nized infant membership and for centuries had 
practiced infant baptism in receiving prose- 
lytes. So Peter, having received this final 
charge of the Master, stands up on the Day of 
Pentecost before a congregation of Jews, and 
cries : "The promise is unto you and your 
children I" What promise ? Why, that prom- 



ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 63 

ise contained in the "everlasting covenant, 
which was confirmed of God in Christ/' and 
"cannot be disannuled," and which provided 
for infant membership in the Church of God. 
Thus the gospel dispensation opened on the 
Day of Pentecost. 

After this the apostles, who had never heard 
of a Church which ignored infant membership, 
went forth to proselyte — to disciple — all na- 
tions; and, lo, everywhere they go household 
baptisms are recorded. From this time on 
household baptisms are recorded about as often 
as adult baptisms. Would these inspired writ- 
ers have made such records if they had known 
that the law of infant membership had been 
abrogated, and that infants were not to be bap- 
tized in making proselytes as heretofore ? 

But the apostles not only baptized entire 
households, but they gave instruction to chil- 
dren and parents, which implies that infant 
baptism and infant membership — just such in- 
struction as was given under the old dispensa- 
tion, when the law of infant membership was 
in full force, and no one had called it into 
question, "Children, obey your parents in the 



64 ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 

Lord." "Fathers, bring your children up in 
the nurture and admonition of the Lord." 
Now, to train up a child in your "nurture/' 
you must have him in your nursery. So, to 
train up a child in the nurture of the Lord, you 
must put him in the Lord's nursery. Now, if 
the Lord has any nursery on earth, save the 
Church, I have never heard of it; the sheep 
and the lambs are to be in the same fold, and 
every under-shepherd is to feed the lambs as 
well as the sheep. Therefore, until some one 
points out the place in the Bible where the law 
of infant membership in the Church has been 
disannuled I shall put my children in the 
Church, and "train them up in the nurture and 
admonition of the Lord." 

The usual OBJECTIONS to infant mem- 
bership now, apply with equal force to infant 
membership under the old dispensation; and 
as children were embraced in an everlasting 
covenant, which covenant was confirmed of 
God in Christ, and consequently cannot be dis- 
annuled, therefore all objections fall to the 
ground. If a man has a right to object to in- 
fant membership he has the same right to ob- 



ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 65 

ject to the Bible, for they are both of divine 
authority. 

Having established infant membership by 
divine authority, and having shown that this 
law has never been repealed, the conclusion that 
children are entitled to the initiatory right of 
membership is inevitable. Hence, Article 
XVII of our faith says, "The baptism of young 
children is to be retained in the Church." 

The world will never be subdued to Christ 
until the Church adopts the divine plant, and 
takes hold of the race at the cradle. "The 
promise (of everlasting covenant) is to you 
and your children." The Good Shepherd has 
given the charge to every under-shepherd to 
"feed His lambs." Woe to him who pens the 
sheep, and leaves the lambs without to the 
mercy of the prowling wolves of hell! The 
time is coming, and now is, when pastors and 
parents must awake to the fearful responsibility 
they assume when they fail to claim, in the 
name of their children, the benefits of that 
promise made to them and their children, in 
the covenant which was confirmed of God in 
Christ. 



LOFC 



ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 67 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Ctmretj {tytonberofytp anD £>acramentg a $&tms 
of ®mt. 

The Church is spoken of in the Bible as a 
visible organization, and as an invisible king- 
dom. (Acts vii. 38; Matt, xviii. 17; Luke 
xvii. 20, 27; Rom. viii. 9; xiv. 17.) The 
VISIBLE Church is made up of all "congrega- 
tions of faithful men in which the pure word 
of God is preached, and the Sacraments duly 
administered, according to Christ's ordinance 
in all those things that of necessity are requi- 
site to the same." The INVISIBLE Church 
is composed of all who are "born of God," re- 
gardless of their relation to any particular di- 
vision of the visible Church. It is the pre- 
rogative of any minister of Christ to disciple 
those without and open the door of the visible 
Church; but no minister, bishop or pope, can 
open the door of the invisible Church. Christ 
is the DOOR to this kingdom, and whoever 



68 ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 

enters that fold must be made "partakers of the 
divine nature." Hence, the invisible Church 
is always pure, for none can enter that except 
they are "washed" in the laver of "regenera- 
tion," and none can remain in it except they 
"abide in Christ." It is different in the visible 
Church, as will appear by the following inves- 
tigation : 

CHURCH MEMBERSHIP, BAPTISM 
and the LORD'S SUPPER must be one of 
three things, viz. : either the condition of sal- 
vation, or grace itself, or a means of grace. 
Now, every Bible reader knows that they can- 
not be the condition of salvation, nor grace; 
therefore, they are a means of grace. Church 
membership and the Sacraments may have a 
significance aside from this ; but, as they effect 
us individually, they are a means of grace, and 
nothing more. The very moment we try to 
make them more to us, we make them either the 
condition of salvation, or grace itself. This 
is so plain that every one can see it at a glance. 

Now, who are entitled to the means of grace ? 
We answer: every one who has made up his 



ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 69 

mind to forsake sin and seek salvation. To 
deny such a one all the means of grace is to 
close the doors of salvation against the world, 
and there is just as much reason and authority 
for denying him the privilege of reading the 
Bible, of attending Church, and of praying, as 
there is for denying him Church membership 
and the Sacraments, for they are all means of 
grace, and nothing more. 

The visible Church is a spiritual hospital, a 
school, a nursery. In this hospital the "blind, 
and halt and lame, and sick" are to be nursed 
and "made whole." In this school the igno- 
rant are to "learn of Christ" and be made wise 
unto salvation." In this nursery the children 
are to be "trained up in the way they should 
go," "in the nurture and admonition of the 
Lord." This is the divine plan of saving the 
world. 

"What! Are you going to bring sinners 
into the Church?" That depends upon what 
is meant by the word sinners. We do not pro- 
pose to bring impenitent sinners into the 
Church. Neither do we propose to bring in 



70 ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 

even unconverted sinners, if you will allow us 
to use the word conversion in its Scriptural 
sense, which is a "change of mind and pur- 
pose." What a pity the word conversion was 
ever used in the sense of regeneration! In 
the Scriptural view every true penitent is con- 
verted, though he may not be regenerated. 
The distinction between a penitent and an im- 
penitent sinner is also clearly drawn in the 
Bible: "Let the wicked forsake his way and 
the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him 
return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy 
upon him; and to our God, for He will abun- 
dantly pardon." "Take my yoke upon you 
and learn of me, . . . and ye shall find rest 
unto your souls." 

"What! Are you going to administer bap- 
tism and the Lord's Supper to unregenerated 
persons?" Yes, if they are truly penitent and 
"intend to lead a new life." Are not such en- 
titled to ALL the means of grace? If you 
have the right to deny any of the means of 
grace, why not deny them the Bible and prayer ? 
If a truly penitent sinner, w T ho is "feeling after 



ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 71 

God/' does not need all the means of grace, 
who does? And if he does not need them just 
then, when will he ever need them? He is 
seeking Christ — trying to get into Christ — into 
the spiritual kingdom. Now, will you make 
the visible Church and its Sacraments more 
holy than the realities which they represent? 
What are means for, but to aid in reaching the 
end? Does not a man need the means of 
grace to aid him in coming to Christ as much 
as he will ever need them to aid him in "abiding 
in Christ ?" O, Churchism, how hast thou 
perverted the ordinances of the Lord ! 

As a matter of fact, we know that in the 
history of Methodism thousands have been 
"born of God" while using Church member- 
ship and the Sacraments as a means of grace. 
It is a remarkable fact, in this connection, that 
Mrs. Wesley, the mother of the great founder 
of Methodism, was thus inducted into the spir- 
itual kingdom, and received the "witness of the 
spirit." In conversation with her son John, 
she says : "Two or three weeks ago, while 
my son Hall was pronouncing these words, in 



72 ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 

delivering the cup to me, 'The blood of our 
Lord Jesus Christ, which was given for thee/ 
the words struck through my heart, and I 
knew God, for Christ's sake, had forgiven all 
my sins." Such instances are frequently re- 
corded in Mr. Wesley's journal. We have 
witnessed several such cases in the last ten 
years. Now, in all such cases we are forced 
to the conclusion that Church membership and 
the Sacraments were a means of grace to those 
persons; and in this view of the case it fol- 
lows that a true penitent has as much right to 
these means as he has to read his Bible and 
pray. If you deny a part, to be consistent, you 
must deny all the means of grace to such a one. 
So true is this that I find, in reading Mr. Wes- 
ley's journal, that those who opposed Mr. Wes- 
ley in these views were finally driven, by their 
own logic, to advise all seekers of salvation "to 
wait for Christ and be still — that is, not to use 
the means of grace — not to go to Church, not 
to commune, not to fast, not to use so much 
as private prayer, not to read the Bible." 



ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 73 

As a rebuke to such teaching as that, Mr. 
Wesley placed on his mother's tombstone the 
following lines : 

"In sure and steadfast hope to rise, 
And claim her mansion in the skies ; 
A Christian here her flesh laid down, 
The cross exchanging for a crown. 

True daughter of affliction, she, 
Inured to pain and misery 
Mourned a long night of grief and tears, 
A legal night of seventy years. 

The Father then revealed His Son, 
Him in the broken bread made known ; 
She knew and felt her sins forgiven, 
And found the earnest of her heaven. 

Meet for the fellowship above, 
She heard the call, 'Arise, my love !' 
'I come!' her dying looks replied, 
And, lamb-like, as her Lord, she died." 

On the other hand, those who took the other 
extreme against Mr. Wesley's views, made 
Church membership and the Sacraments either 
grace itself, or the condition of salvation. 



74 ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 

Hence, they held the doctrine of "baptismal re- 
generation" — "no salvation outside of the 
Church/' and "no salvation without extreme 
unction." Against these two errors — Quiet- 
ism and Churchism — Mr. Wesley fought as 
long as he lived ; and true Methodism has con- 
tinued to fight down to the present time. For 
this she has been accused of "opening her doors 
to ungodly sinners." But we have shown that 
the class of sinners which Methodism proposes 
to take into the Church is just that class of 
sinners to whom Christ said, "Come unto me" 
— "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, 
. . . and ye shall find rest to your souls." 

While we hold up Church membership and 
the Sacraments as a means of grace, we should 
warn the people to be careful not to rest in the 
means without obtaining the end. For these, 
like all other means of grace, as well as grace 
itself, may be abused or "received in vain." 
The whole history of the Church lifts its warn- 
ing voice and says "Beware!" The apostasy 
of the Church of Rome — the low state of ex- 
perimental religion in the Church of England 



ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 75 

in 1739 — originated in substituting the means 
for the end. 

In every age of the Church from Moses to 
Christ, and from Christ to the present, as 
Churchism has increased, vital godliness has 
disappeared; and as spiritual, heartfelt religion 
has died out, ritualism has increased. No won- 
der, then, that Christ denounced Churchism 
and ritualism so emphatically in His day. 
While other churches, which withhold a part 
of the means of grace from penitents, are ex- 
posed to the stagnation of Quietism, yet Meth- 
odism, in offering all the means of grace to pen- 
itents is exposed to the dry-rot of ritualism. 
If the time ever comes in the history of Meth- 
odism when her ritual becomes so unwieldy 
that she will have to abandon the highways and 
hedges, and confine her operations to towns and 
cities along the railroad and steamboat lines, 
then you may write "Ichabod" upon her ban- 
ners, for her glory will have departed. 

We must see to it, that while our people 
have the "form of godliness" they do not "deny 
the power" thereof. How important that we, 



76 ANALYSIS OF BAPTISM 

as ministers, keep the subject of a clear, Chris- 
tian experience before the minds of the people, 
and see that none stop short of regenerating 
grace, and the "witness of the Spirit !" While 
we hold up all the means of grace and invite all 
to seek God through them, yet how clearly 
should we explain the nature and design of 
Church vows and the Sacraments to both old 
and young. Laying hold of the race at the 
cradle, how we should labor to train up the 
rising generations in the nurture of the Lord ! 
And with what faith should we use all the 
means which God has appointed and promised 
to bless, as "we go forth to disciple" all na- 
tions; baptizing them "in the name of the 
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy 
Ghost !" 



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